The Truth in the Confession
by brilliantly confused
Summary: 5.01 Harbingers in the Fountain - Booth is kept up by his knowledge of lying to Bones and feels the need to admit to her what he really meant. Previously titled Admitting the Truth
1. Chapter 1

Well, this is my first try at a follow-up to a Bones episode. Let me know what you guys think!

My thoughts on what might happen if Booth felt guilty over lying to Brennan. Considering how he seems to suffer from what Bones calls his "Catholic guilt" (mind you, I was raised Catholic and am not knocking the religion), I could see the fact that he lied to someone he knows means so much to him making it difficult to sleep to the point of him having to admit to her that he wasn't truly honest.

* * *

A sharp knock the door interrupted Brennan's late night work on her most recent novel. She quickly saved her work and set her laptop on the floor by her feet. Moving to the door, she peered out and was surprised to find Booth fidgeting outside her door. She opened the door and his gaze snapped up from the floor to meet hers.

"I lied to you," he said, almost looking surprised himself as he said the words.

"I know," she replied, turning and retreating inside, leaving him to follow. She moved her laptop farther out of the way and sat back on the couch with her half-full glass of wine in hand.

He followed her in and watched as she sat and then began to pace, running his hand through his hair every few minutes.

She watched him, waiting him out. He would say more when he was ready. She sipped slowly, enjoying the chance to observe him. He had obviously been in bed at some point. His hair was mused and his eyes carried the glazed look of someone who had only been up a short time. He wore a worn, navy blue FBI tee and loose gray sweatpants that sat low on his hips. It wasn't hard for her to picture them having a completely different evening together. They would be sitting on the couch together, instead of her alone and him at his place, in bed. She would sit with her feet in his lap as he propped his up on the coffee table and watched a hockey game. She would be working on her book, but distracted from time to time as he would lightly brush his fingers over the soles of her extremely ticklish feet.

He finally stopped and faced her head on. "I should never have said it."

"Booth, no…"

"Just let me say this, Bones; then you can talk all you want." She sat back with a slight nod of agreement and let him have his say.


	2. Chapter 2

Part 2 of 2. Well, not all together happy with this chapter or the story any more, but feel like I should see this through. So, feedback is appreciated. Thanks all!

* * *

At her nod, he took a steadying breath and metaphorically took the plunge. "I love you, okay? And as much as everyone seems set on telling me not to tell you yet, I can't lie any more. Everything inside me is saying I should ignore their advice. It's not even that I love you in an 'atta girl' kind of way – I only said that because I freaked out. I hadn't meant to blurt it out like that. I love you as my friend, but it's even more than that.

Temperance Brennan, Bones, I am in love with you. I want to bicker with you over more than just work stuff. I want to complain that you're stealing my favorite shirts to sleep in. I want to have to discuss whose place we're staying at that night, who's showering first and who has to go start the coffee. To get to try to convince you to stay in bed just a little bit longer of a morning.

Some day I would love for you to shock the hell out of me when you tell me you're pregnant; to get to fight with you then over who has to get up in the middle of the night with the baby. I want it all, Bones. But, with you – only with you, Temperance," he told her, holding her gaze. With a sigh, he looked away and moved over to the armchair, flopping down.

She set her glass down and moved to kneel in front of him. "Booth, look at me." She waited until he met her eyes, and then continued. "This isn't about them, is it? It's about us – so why don't you trust yourself? It's what you would tell me to do."

"I don't know, Bones. I just don't know any more."

"Then trust that I know. You think it's a big deal what you dreamed about while in your coma? I wrote it and read it allowed to you. It scared the hell out of me – so, I ran. You let Sweets know that I agree it was running and bought into his psychology crap and I will deny it," she added as a side note, making him laugh. "But," she continued, once again turning serious, "I'm back here; with you."

"And I can't even begin to tell you how happy that makes me. So, are you telling me that you think this will work? Forever?"

"There's no possible way of lasting forever when it comes to any human or human condition."

He smiled. "Well, you're willing to try it?"

"The center must hold, Booth. You taught me that. And we will make it hold, as long as you believe it too. I'm willing to trust you'll always come back – you always have. You would never hurt me intentionally. It always comes back to this, to us. What will admitting this change?"

"Very little," he admitted. "Work will stay the same."

"Yes."

He held his hand out to her and pulled her up to sit in the chair with him. With a sigh, he wrapped his arms around her waist and buried his head in the side of her neck. Pressing a kiss into her skin, he raised his head to look her in the eye. "I'm not dreaming, am I?"

"No."

"Good," he said, his face finally breaking into a Booth charm smile before he leaned in to capture her lips with his.


End file.
